A lighter - ship stabilizing system

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure is directed to a lighter - ship stabilizing system for securing vertical stacks of lighters within cargo holds against tilting or rocking of the stack of lighters relative to the ship to effectively make the stack of lighters and the ship a single instrumentality which resists relative motion between lighters and ship incident to dynamical sea conditions such as pitch, roll and yaw. This rigid interplay between lighter and ship is based upon the fact that the lighters may be nested or stacked within the hold so that as between lighters in a particular stack there is interlocking rigidity and the stack is made rigid with the ships hull by wedging the stacks of lighters against the hull. This interlocking is attained by the use of wedge blocks secured to the hull and tapered wedges which are dropped between the stack of lighters at each lighter and rigid part of the ships hull.

United States Patent 1 Goldman [111 3,722,449 [451 Mar. 27, 1973 LIGHTERSHIP STABILIZING SYSTEM [73] Assignee: Lash Systems, Inc., New Orleans,

[22] Filed: Oct. 12, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 79,718

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1935 Schroeder....105/369 S 9/ 1966 Goldman ..'..114/43.5

Primary Examiner-Trygve M. Blix Attorney-Wilkinson, Mawhinney andTheibault ABSTRACT The present disclosure is directed to a lighter shipstabilizing system for securing vertical stacks of lighters within cargoholds against tilting or rocking of the stack of lighters relative tothe ship to effectively make the stack of lighters and the ship a singleinstrumentality which resists relative motion between lighters and shipincident to dynamical Sea conditions such as pitch, roll and yaw. Thisrigid interplay between lighter and ship is based upon the fact that thelighters may be nested or stacked within the hold so that as betweenlighters in a particular Stack there is interlocking rigidity and thestack is made rigid with the ships hull by wedging the stacks oflighters against the hull. This interlocking is attained by the use ofwedge blocks secured to the hull and tapered wedges which are droppedbetween the stack of lighters at each lighter and rigid part of theships hull.

1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDHARZYISYS 3 722 449 SHEET 10F 2 INVENTOR JE ROME L GOLDMAN FIG I LIGHTER SHIP STABILIZING SYSTEM An objectof the present invention is the quick rigid securing of lighters stackedin cargo holds of a ship relative to the ship so as to eliminaterelative motion between the lightersand ship incident to dynamicalforces to which the ship is-subjected when underway.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of amechanically simple locking means having few moving parts and beingextremely easy to actuate and which gives a rigid four point fix betweenthe lighter and hull.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be morefully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed outin the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or correspondingparts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view through a lightercarrying cargo ship showing the stacked lighters wedged in place againstwalkways.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of a lighter hold section showingthe lighters wedged in place.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary transverse section taken at an enlarged scalethrough a lighter wedge and wedge plate connection with parts brokenaway and parts shown in section.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the lighter stabilizing wedge and wedgeguide and bearing block employed with the present invention.

Referring now to FIG. 1, designates generally a cargo ship having a hold11 in which are vertically stacked lighters l2 resting upon nestingcolumns 13. Outwardly of the lighter holds 11 are wing tanks 14 forcontrolling trim and buoyancy of the ship.

Between the end walls 12A of the stacked lighters l2 and the bulkhead 15of the lighter hold 11 there are walkways 16 running longitudinally ofthe ship and having upstanding hand rails 17. There are walkways 16 ateach lighter deck level. Secured to the free end of the walkways 16 arewedge guide and bearing blocks l8,

and as best shown in FIG. 4 the block 18 is tapered from top'to bottomand has a tapered slot 19 in its front face. A stabilizing wedge 20 has:a flat face 21 and a tapered face 22. As shown in FIG. 3, when thelighters are stacked in the hold, one upon another with the major axisof the lighter at a right angle to the major axis of the ship, the wedge20 is inserted into the slot 19 of the block 18 in such .a manner thatthe flat side 21 of the wedge 20 bears against the lighter end wall 12Aand the tapered side 22 is complemental to the tapered slot 19 in block18, the wedge 20 thereby becoming captive by slot 19 against movementacross the end wall 12A of lighters 12 in one direction and by wedgingaction and gravity in the other direction.

Above the main deck 23 of the ship 10 and extending about the cargo orlighter hold opening is a coaming 24 upon which is received a hatchcover 25. This cover 25 acts as a base upon which are stacked one or twoadditional lighters l2.

Each wedge 20 is rendered captive to its general area of use by a lengthof chain 26 one end of which is secured to the ship and the other end ofwhich i is secured to the wedge.

What I claim is; 1. In combination with a ship having cargo holds in.which lighters are vertically stacked with the major axis of thelighter at right angles to the major axis of the ship and in whichwalkways are mounted vertically one above another on the transversebulkhead of the cargo hold in'spaced relations to be substantially inplanar alignment with the top of the deck of each lighter; a lightership stabilizing system comprising a wedge block carried by the walkwayand lying between the lighter and walkway, said wedge block having atapered guide slot in the front face thereof, and a tapered wedgeadapted to be received in the tapered guide slot to bear against thewedge block on one side and the lighter on the other side to lock thecolumn of lighters against lateral shifting of the lighters relative tothe ship when the ship is underway and subject to dynamical conditions.

' t I t

1. In combination with a ship having cargo holds in which lighters arevertically stacked with the major axis of the lighter at right angles tothe major axis of the ship and in which walkways are mounted verticallyone above another on the transverse bulkhead of the cargo hold in spacedrelations to be substantially in planar alignment with the top of thedeck of each lighter; a lighter - ship stabilizing system comprising awedge block carried by the walkway and lying between the lighter andwalkway, said wedge block having a tapered guide slot in the front facethereof, and a tapered wedge adapted to be received in the tapered guideslot to bear against the wedge block on one side and the lighter on theother side to lock the column of lighters against lateral shifting ofthe lighters relative to the ship when the ship is underway and subjectto dynamical conditions.